as in pile
a quantity of wood heaped together for burning a dead body
a funeral pyre
Related Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pyre
Varanasi was quite an experience, seeing the funeral pyres.
—
Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
Thecla is stripped naked and placed on a pyre, but no flames touch her.
—Christy Cobb, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
Flaked points of stone tools were also found on the pyre, suggesting the pointed stones were added during the cremation as funerary objects.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
At Mount Hora, archaeologists discovered the oldest human cremation in Africa and the oldest in situ adult pyre in the world.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pyre
Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
Thecla is stripped naked and placed on a pyre, but no flames touch her.
—Christy Cobb, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
Flaked points of stone tools were also found on the pyre, suggesting the pointed stones were added during the cremation as funerary objects.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
At Mount Hora, archaeologists discovered the oldest human cremation in Africa and the oldest in situ adult pyre in the world.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pyre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pyre
Noun
-
Among them is the demanding task of turning a pile of artifacts into a museum collection, which includes cataloging, researching, describing and photographing.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
19 Apr. 2026
-
That was the nine-runner pile-up in the 800 that derailed what was developing into a world-class race at the end of an afternoon full of them.—
Scott M. Reid,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Uncollected garbage rotted in heaps, and people cued outside of bakeries for their daily government ration of bread.—
Kate Linthicum,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
-
There are heaps of hotels, hostels, and homestays in Hạ Long for around $15 a night.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The proceeds will also accelerate Samsung SDS’s investments in AI infrastructure and strengthen its expansion as a full-stack AI solutions provider.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
-
But very close to the north pole itself, a stack of features arose that were entirely unexpected.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Grand Hotel Parker’s Naples’ historic grande dame occupies a privileged position on a hill in the elegant Chiaia neighborhood, with sweeping views of the Bay of Naples and Mount Vesuvius in the distance.—
Laura Itzkowitz,
Travel + Leisure,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Avoid sudden braking or acceleration, and be especially cautious on hills or when making turns.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tree planting remained an important component, but the vision became broader, with more focus on cultivating arid, degraded land - like the mountains around Kourtimale or the Ferlo valley.—
Julie Bourdin,
NPR,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Then commandos used mini-helicopters to reach the mountains, extract the weapons officer, and fly him back to the airfield.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pyre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pyre. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
